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Letters to editor in Naples Daily News Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019

'May his joy fill you this Christmas'

Christmas is upon us! The shopping is over, the lights are bright, the tree is decorated, the parties and family gatherings are anticipated, and gifts will be exchanged. Joy!

But have you received and accepted the greatest gift of all? Jesus is the real reason we celebrate Christmas. May his joy fill you this Christmas.

Roger D. Hatfield, East Naples

Planet Earth.(Photo: Bill Day/FloridaPolitics.com)

Memories of childhood wonder

The magic of Christmas is an elusive concept that can elude the sophisticated. Life sometimes conditions those of us "on the shady side of 40" to look with irritation or indifference on the hustle and bustle of Christmas.

The overt commercialism of the holidays is sometimes less than appealing. It is a mindset that I think we all would like to get more away from, returning to the religious and spiritual side of Christmas.

But we have to balance the commercial side of Christmas with the ecstatic smile of a small child who has just “talked to Santa” or wrote a hopeful letter to the North Pole. There are indeed “visions of sugar plums” delightfully whirling around in their small heads.

Who does not remember wondering how Santa was going to climb down the narrow chimney with all of those toys? Or how was Santa going to get around the whole world in a single night?

And some few of us even remember looking into the starry night sky, on a cold Christmas Eve, and wondering whether that glimmer of light, just to the right of tomorrow and onward toward yesterday, was a reflection from Santa’s sleigh, carried aloft by colorful reindeer in the inky night sky?

Our very warmest wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year. And as Tiny Tim said in Dickens’ “ A Christmas Carol,” “God bless us, everyone.”

Joseph Xavier Martin, Estero

Credit for Christmas lights

There are no lights around the royal palms on McGregor Boulevard by the Edison home this year.

Decades ago, Vonceil Franklin was in a women's group that decorated the Edison home. She came up with the idea of putting lights on the royal palm trees along McGregor by the Edison home. She created the tradition that we all enjoyed so much over the years. She was very proud of this accomplishment.

Vonceil contacted electricians to do the job for free and got volunteers to help. Ever since that time, the trees would light up our beloved McGregor Boulevard.

Vonceil (1937-2019) passed away this year, and this year there were no lights put up. Since she has no one to honor her this holiday season, I wanted to make sure everyone knew she should get the credit for starting this tradition, which sadly has ended the year of her death.

Joanne Iwinski-Miller, Fort Myers

Preserve the planet

Every person on this planet, regardless of religious preference, political allegiance, economic status or educational level, needs to be reminded that there is only one habitable planet, Earth, and there is no Planet B.

We have a very limited time (10 to 20 years) to reduce emissions for carbon, methane, nitrogen and to do so at substantial levels in order to save our planet.

Remember, all of us are "earthlings," whether we like each other or not. Future generations hang in the balance, and the youngest generation now is leading the fight while the rest of us are sitting on our hands. We are all obligated to leave this Earth in a better condition than we found it.